Don"t worry be appy in London

Like many first-time visitors to London, on arrival I was worried about finding my way on the vast tube network and myriad bus routes.

But I was quickly told about a few key websites and apps that had me navigating the city of eight million like a local in next to no time.

The rise and rise of smartphones means there’s now nothing to fear when it comes to moving swiftly around the English capital.

The most useful website is Transport for London’s Journey Planner.

Simply type in your start and end locations and hit “plan journey”.

It’ll give you the best route, including where to change if necessary, and an estimate of how long it will take.

All information is live, meaning you can avoid routes experiencing delays or disruptions.

Journey Planner was launched in 2002 and now has 80 million visits each year.

It provides information for underground and overland trains, buses, taxis and water transport.

While it’s good, life gets even better if you’re prepared to cough up a couple of pounds for some brilliant apps.

TFL provides its live timetable information to over 5000 registered app developers.

Two of the best products are UK Train Times and Busmapper Pro.

But before you purchase either, download the free Tube Map.

It allows you to keep track of where you are heading on both the tube and overground trains.

UK Train Times could be considered relatively expensive for an app at STG4.99 ($A7.20) – but it’s worth every penny.

Its intuitive interface allows you to plan a journey or find the next train “home” if you’ve customised it.

The live departure and arrivals information means you can maximise your time sight-seeing, shopping or working and then casually stroll to the station just before your train is due.

And if there’s any delays you can simply search for alternative options.

Which leads us to Busmapper Pro, which costs just STG0.69 ($A1).

I hadn’t planned on catching buses in London thinking they’d be slow.

But with this clever app the famous red double-deckers can become your new best friends.

Your phone’s GPS knows where you’re starting from so all you need to do is plug in your destination in the “get me somewhere” field.

Immediately you’re presented with a map with the best route highlighted, nearby stops and departure times.

Total journey time is also listed so you can tell if you’ll be early or late to any appointment.

Alternate bus routes can be selected and the “live stops” button lists departure times for the next 20 minutes.

London’s small postcode districts mean just a few letters and numbers are required to pinpoint your destination.

If you really don’t care for buses there’s always a black cab.

Again a free app is called for – this time Hailo, which lets you easily order a cab while on the street and discover how long you’ll wait.

But if you are booking in advance, to the airport for instance, then a minicab is often the cheaper option. Just do an internet search for contact numbers in your area.

If you want to swing your leg over a Boris bike – named after London mayor Boris Johnson – then the free Barclays Bikes app will make the ride smooth.

London and Partners produces the official visitors guide to the city and its website lists their “top 10 free London apps”, also worth checking out.

Communications head Jacqueline French argues apps “unlock London”.

“A lot of people, especially from Australia, will do a lot of planning before they travel to London,” she tells AAP.

“But actually it’s such a diverse city it’s quite easy to wander, and having these apps means you’ve got security (to roam).”

Finally, there’s one thing you don’t need a website or app for, but which is critical to learn quick smart.

A must-obey rule of the tube is that if you want to stand still on an escalator, you must do so on the right-hand side. The left is for walking.

It’s the opposite to Australian practice but pleading ignorance won’t save you if an underground crowd is in metronomic marching mode.

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE: A number of airlines fly between the Australian capitals and London, including Qantas, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways and Japan Airlines. From London Heathrow, the Heathrow Express train will take you directly into Paddington station in under half an hour; from Gatwick airport, the Gatwick Express train will take you into London’s Victoria station in about the same time. Both intercity stations are on London’s central tube network.

STAYING THERE: Accommodation options in London are endless, catering for all budgets and tastes. To help you narrow down your search, go to www.booking.com or www.visitlondon.com.

PLAYING THERE: Check out these useful websites when hitting the streets of London – www.tfl.gov.uk and www.londonandpartners.com.

Don"t worry be appy in London